Touch me, Lucius
by Nigel Farage
Summary: Not even in their wildest fantasies would any student of Hogwarts imagine that, in a quiet corner of Hogwarts, a mudblood and a pureblood would be engaged in such...activities. Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Granger had never been so intimate, and how long will it take before the students of Hogwarts notice the difference in their behavior? Set during The Goblet of Fire
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello there friends! Come and enjoy a fanfiction rife with illegal sexual activities and numerous references to breasts. Please keep in mind that this work in no way reflects upon the authors' fantasies, and that we certainly, in no way, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. That would be unfortunate.**

**For anyone who's already read the chapter and is confused, Draco has been cut out. Sorry.**

Chapter One:

The halls of Hogwarts were silent; all students in bed and dreaming. But there was one room, on the seventh floor, where this was completely the opposite. "Touch me, Lucius." Hermione whispered into his ear. He shuddered and pulled her closer, brushing his lips down her neck. She breathed out quickly, and arched her back, pushing her hands under his trousers. They knew they shouldn't be doing this, but here they were; shut in the room of requirement, desperately touching each other. Dragging his hands up her front, Lucius removed Hermione's shirt and pressed his face into her chest. Her breath now coming quickly, she tangled her fingers in his hair. "Lucius…" She moaned. He smirked, stroking his fingers up her back until he encountered her bra clasp which he swiftly unclipped. Such intimate contact used to render her speechless and flush her cheeks, but now, she welcomed the contact, and bit his neck gently. As her bra slid off, she grasped his wrists, and pulled his hands up to her soft breasts. Lucius sighed, and, picking her up, carried her to the bed, pressing her against the blankets. Insistently, she tugged at his shirt until he removed it, exposing his pale chest. "Lucius, I want you." She moaned, pulling him hard against her. Overcome by desire, he all but ripped her trousers off. Then, slowly, he pulled her underwear down, caressing her thighs with his fingertips. Hermione whimpered quietly. "Lucius…" She whispered. He pressed his face to hers, looking her in the eyes.

"You're mine now." Then, softly, slowly, he pushed himself into her. She shivered and gasped, digging her fingernails into his back.

"Please…"

"Mine now." He gasped. "All mine."

"Where were you last night, Hermione? We waited up for you."

"I was in the library, Ron. I found an interesting transfiguration book that-"

"We didn't see you on the map though." Hermione huffed.

"Then you weren't looking hard enough." With that, she turned to her breakfast and said no more.

Once Ancient Runes had finished two hours later, Hermione was making her way to the Gryffindor common room. Absentmindedly, she scanned the pages of the book she held before her, not thinking about the words, but about the events of the previous night. Suddenly, an arm looped around her waist and pulled her into an alcove. She gasped and hit out.

"Now now Granger, play nicely." Lucius looked into her eyes. "Though I love it when you play naughty."

Hermione giggled.

"Lucius..."

He stroked her breasts gently and she sighed, closing her eyes as he worked his fingers over her body. "Lucius…" She pressed into his chest. "I can't do this...not now…"

"Really?" He smirked in that way that way which so enticed her. "Let me change your mind."

He started slowly at first, bringing his hand up to her face and running his fingers against her cheek, stroking her lips delicately with his thumb. Then he pushed her back against the wall and moved his head down to her neck, softly trailing his tongue along it before brushing his lips lightly against her skin, drawing deep sighs from Hermione. He lifted his head and their eyes met. It was not long before his lust overtook him, he fiercely and passionately kissed her, his body grinding against hers. Breathing a soft moan into his lips, Hermione reached for his robes and worked her hands inside, running her hands up and down the newly exposed flesh. Lucius began to thrust at her harder but kept his lips forcefully pressed against hers to muffle the deep, loud moans that spontaneously arose from them both.

Loud approaching footsteps clattered down the corridor, freezing them solid.

They stood, breathing into each other's mouths, waiting for the footsteps to fade away. They approached loudly, heralding the arrival of someone who wielded a great authority.

They stayed silent as the footsteps became louder, Lucius pressing his mouth into Hermione's to quiet her breathing. She looked into his eyes as a figure walked past the alcove. A tall woman with grey hair. McGonagall. She strode past, glancing into the darkness of the alcove as she walked. They stiffened, but McGonagall didn't seem to see them in the shadows.

"Lucius." Hermione whispered, bringing his attention back to her. He stayed quiet for a few seconds, waiting for the footsteps to fade away. When they had gone, he nibbled on Hermione's lip. She giggled, stroking her fingers across his cheek.

"Well," Lucius said, "now that we have privacy again..." He gripped Hermione's waist, pushing her hard against the wall, following her with his body, pressing himself hard against her. As they kissed passionately, Lucius began exploring Hermione's naked chest under her shirt, touching his lips into the soft skin of her neck and sighing in pleasure. Hermione quickly took his hands, moving them to the waistline of his trousers. Moving together, they removed them, the fabric falling about Lucius's feet. Hermione stroked her fingers over his crotch, and felt it harden.

"Oh god…" Lucius mumbled, feeling a rush of pleasure from the sensation of her hands on his body. He struggled to remove his shirt, wanting to touch skin to skin, to feel the heat of her sexual caresses. His fingers were exploring Hermione's chest once more, and once his legs were freed from the trousers, he ground his crotch into Hermione's, eliciting a small gasp from her.

Lucius, feeling that the time was right, slid Hermione's trousers off, along with her underwear and his own. Groaning with heightened pleasure, they moved into each other.

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron were observing something very curious on the Marauder's Map.

"Has it broken?" Harry frowned and tapped the pages with his wand.

"I don't think it can break."

"Oh."

They sat in silence, observing the splodge on the map where two names were jumbled together. "Then that means…" They both paled, flung themselves up, and sprinted for the portrait hole. Their friend was in danger. They ran blindly through the corridors, following the map and ignoring startled students.

"This way!" Harry shouted. They had reached the corridor which contained the alcove, and dashed to it. They stopped dead.

**_A/N:_In the next installment we will find out what on earth happens when Harry and Ron bump into the...uh...pleasure pile, and Hermione will be having some inevitable flashbacks. Just how did this all start anyway?**

**Look forward to it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Hello to our exciting followers! We hope you enjoy the second installment! There's some emotional stuff in this chapter, but don't worry, there'll definitely be more "action" in the story.**

**We'll update about every week but maybe less; most of chapter three is written it just needs finalising and stuff, so look forward to that.**

They all stopped dead.

Harry and Ron gaped at the tangle of limbs. Hermione stared back, equally shocked, but Lucius's expression betrayed no emotion. Wasting no time, he dropped to the mess of clothes and retrieved his wand.

"Imperio."

Harry and Ron's minds became fuzzy as they were swept up in the need to obey Lucius's will. Ron smiled obliviously, but Harry's mind instinctively pushed the shroud away as it had a few months ago, when Mad-eye Moody had cast the same spell on him.

"Now then," Lucius said with a smirk, "won't you come with me?"

Ron nodded, keen to follow his master's command. At first, Harry stood still and held his chin high in defiance. He would never let any Death Eater control him, doing so was practically submitting himself to Voldemort.

But as Lucius raised an eyebrow, Harry realised that he would much rather bend to his will than deal with the situation at hand. Waves of nausea were still rushing over him from when he noticed Hermione's shameful face as she cowered behind the Malfoy, the feeling enhanced tenfold by the vulgar display of flesh before him. However, as he had already fully resisted the curse, he had to pretend for Malfoy. The very thought made him sicker still, but it was his only means of escape. He adopted Ron's clueless smile as best he could and proceeded on.

Lucius summoned his robes from the pile on the floor and swiftly put them on before marching on behind the boys. Before he disappeared out of sight, he turned back to Hermione, who had also begun to dress herself.

"It would be best if you made yourself scarce. It seems that this place is not one of particular privacy. I'll be seeing you later." He spoke his final sentence whilst looking straight into Hermione's eyes, a smirk pulling his lips up, making her cheeks redden. He then turned away, his robes swishing in the movement, and left.

Lucius strode towards the two boys, whipping his wand into the air.

"Now then." He smirked at their dozy expressions. "Can't have you interrupting again, can we?" They shook their heads enthusiastically. "Obliviate." All expression faded from their faces, but Harry, with a will of steel, resisted. He let his mouth hang open, as though the spell was affecting him, but, he remembered. Oh god did he remember. Sneering, Lucius tucked his wand back into his cane and swaggered away.

"Harry?" Ron looked about, bemused. They were in an old corridor, the evening sunlight streaming in through the window. "What are we doing here?"

"I'm not sure." Harry's face was tight, and Ron thought he looked faintly green.

"You alright mate?"

"Yep."

"Well...let's go eat dinner. I'm hungry."

Another wave of nausea swept through Harry. He really didn't think he could handle dinner.

"Hey Harry, hey Ron." Hermione said as she seated herself at the Gryffindor table. She smiled brightly, but was looking for an adverse reaction in them. Lucius had said he had obliviated their memories, but something could always have gone wrong, and this was something she really needed them to not remember.

"Hey Hermione!" Ron greeted her back. "Where have you been? We didn't see you in the common room...I don't think…"

"You don't think?" She queried nervously.

"I can't remember."

"What do you mean?" Here, Harry joined the conversation.

"We can't remember anything since a while back." He said calmly, though his mind was in turmoil. He couldn't get that image out of his head, the two of them together, their naked flesh and their joined bodies grotesquely mimicking a worm orgy. His body convulsed with disgust. Lucius...and Hermione, they had been...together. Harry nearly vomited on the table remembering it. Hermione was acting perfectly normally, which made him wonder how long this…this sickening activity had been going on for.

"I remember being in the common room…" Ron banged his head down on the table. "Agh!"

Hermione sighed in relief. Harry shuffled uncomfortably, poking the food around on his plate with a fork. Every time he tried to eat the sausage he just…

"So where have you been?"

"Oh, just the library again." Harry raised his eyebrows, surprised at how easily she pulled off the lie. What had happened to her? He needed to talk to her. Ron, however, seemed satisfied with her answer, and bit his sausage in two. Harry shuddered.

Hermione's worry had been placated. She sat contentedly at the table, choosing foods to place on her plate, and daydreaming about Lucius. Her worst nightmares had come true when Harry and Ron had walked by the little alcove, seeing her naked and crushed against the wall, having her pleasure with the Malfoy. Everything was alright now, though. Right?

After dinner they meandered up to the common room, Ron keeping up an endless natter about quidditch, and Harry being oddly silent. Entering the common room, they plonked themselves down on the sofa by the fire, Hermione pulling out her Ancient Runes homework. Ron had challenged Harry to a game of chess, and so they were playing quietly in the corner, leaving Hermione to work. After an hour of concentration, Hermione put her papers down and stared into the crackling fire, enjoying the ambience of the room; tired Gryffindors were chatting quietly,sharing food and doing their work. She started to think about the Malfoys again, and remembered her first encounter with Lucius.

"_Now now Draco. Play nicely."_

_A tall man with platinum blonde hair pushed the boy aside and looked Harry in the eyes. "Mr Potter…" He said with a smile. He held out his hand. "Lucius Malfoy." After introducing himself, Lucius roughly inspected Harry's scar. "Your scar is legend." He said, brushing the hair back from Harry's forehead. "As of course is the wizard who gave it to you." At this, Harry grew angry and pulled back._

"_Voldemort was nothing more than a murderer."_

"_You must be very brave, to mention his name. Or very foolish." At this, Hermione stepped forwards._

"_Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself." He turned to her, and she felt his steely grey eyes considering her. His gaze travelled over her frame, noticing the imperfections; the bushy hair, the crooked teeth._

"_And you must be…" He turned to Draco. "Miss Granger." He nodded. "Yes Draco's told me all about you...And your parents. Muggles, aren't they?" She glanced at her parents, who were talking to Mr Weasley. She felt indignation, but didn't have the courage to voice it, instead glaring at the man, who raised an eyebrow._

That was their first meeting, but it was most certainly not the last.

_It was the Quidditch World Cup. Hermione, Harry and the Weasleys were cramped into the highest stand, which had the advantage of a wonderful view, although it was rather windy. Hermione thought of Draco and his father, cozying up to the minister, and thought she would rather be up here, anyway. Despite not particularly liking Quidditch, Hermione was screaming along with the rest of them. She was using her omnioculars to zoom in on the players, mainly Krum, and, surprisingly, was rather enjoying the match._

_Once it had ended , they walked back to the tent on a high. The twins were whooping and imitating the Irish players, swooping around Ron. Their laughter merged with the noise of the drunken celebrations outside. Hermione herself was immersed in a copy of 'Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them', but all was halted when Mr Weasley burst in. _

"_We've got to get out of here. Now." He declared wearing a grave expression._

_These were no drunken celebrations. The grounds had erupted into chaos, people screaming, wind howling, fires blazing. Death eaters wielding torches marched amidst them, murmuring words of a strange, sinister sounding language. Mr Weasley had instructed them to stick together, but it proved near impossible in the streaming mass of panicked wizards. One moment Hermione was running with Harry, clutching his arm, determined not to lose him, and the next… Harry's face washed away in the sea of people. Hermione was running alone through the crowd. _

_A bright green flash and the wizard next to her hit the ground with a thud. Hermione screamed and desperately wished she could do something, anything. She knew it was too late, the killing curse had already taken its toll. She turned and continued running, tears streaming from her eyes. She moved so fast that her surroundings were a blur, and the only thought on her mind was escape, escape, escape._

_She was knocked off her feet and flew through the air for a brief second before crashing to the ground. The hard dirt forced the air out of her lungs and the impact to her head made her shudder. The offending wizard, who had collided with her at speed, scrambled at the ground and sped off once he found his footing, paying no regard to Hermione._

_Feeling sick at this treachery, Hermione made an effort to stand up, but her head swam and her vision danced before her, causing her to strike the floor once again. Shaking, she dragged herself along the floor to the edge of a tent, out of the way of fleeing wizards and out of sight, she hoped, from the Death Eaters. Her breath came short and shallow, her body exhausted. Escape, escape, escape… How could she escape when she couldn't stand, when she could barely move without seeing stars? She listened to the heavy footsteps and saw a couple of Death Eaters pass her. She breathed a sigh of relief, her hiding space had served her well, for now. She tried to steady her breathing and calm her thoughts. When that's accomplished, she would be able to work out what to do._

_All the blood drained from her face as a lone Death Eater suddenly stood above her. The black clad, masked figure lifted its wand. _

"_Episkey."  
What? Hermione felt utter confusion as the healing spell enveloped her body in warmth, like a soft blanket. _

_The dark figure bent down next to her, pulling off its mask. Lucius Malfoy knelt beside her, holding a bottle to her lips. His expression was tender and his hold on her throbbing head was gentle. But this was Lucius Malfoy, the cruel, calculating, arrogant father of one of the most despicable menaces in school! On top of all that, he was a Death Eater! Why didn't he murder her where she lay? But unlike before, in Flourish and Blotts, his look was one of softness, and she knew he meant no harm. Amidst all the chaos and distant screams, she felt safe. She parted her lips to drink the potion, and he smiled affectionately. A light heat radiated through her body and her head hurt no more. Putting the bottle down, Lucius lifted his hand and rested it on her cheek, stroking it delicately with his fingers, his eyes gazing deeply into hers. They held a compassion she had not seen before and she felt herself being drawn in. He slowly lowered himself and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then he slid his arms underneath her body and picked her up. Her skin still tingled from the touch of his warm lips, and she felt a rush of emotion as he held her body tightly against his when he moved to carry her away._

_The moment must have endured mere minutes, but in her memory, it felt like days. All of her worries had been briefly forgotten in his firm grip, causing her to smile and rest her head on his shoulder, watching the flaming tents pass quickly by. When he put her down she shivered in the sudden coldness that washed over her. She looked down to place her hands on the ground, and pushed herself up. When she looked up again, Lucius had vanished. Trembling, she sprinted away, now full of energy, and ran to find the others._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter 3 is here! Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your dog. Or your cat, if you swing that way.**

Sighing at the memory of his touch, Hermione leaned back into the sofa, closing her eyes. Lucius hadn't approached her after his out of character behaviour at the Quidditch World Cup, and his distance had only intrigued her. Naturally, Lucius had spent little time inside Hogwarts, and so this gave Hermione little opportunity to talk to him. Though she had considered owling him, every time she had got up the winding staircase and stood in front of the screeching birds, her courage had left her, and she had made her way slowly down again, letter clutched in her hand. Now, she smiled at how nervous she had been. Little had she known how kind Lucius could be, under the mask of snobbery he put up.

"Hermione? Hello, Hermione?" Ron waved his hand in front of her face. Blinking, Hermione turned to him and Harry. They had long finished their chess game and were looking back at her warily.

"What's the matter? You looked very odd, just staring into space like that..."

"Don't worry, Ron. I was just thinking."

"We were beginning to think you'd been claimed by You-Know-Who,"

"Of course not, it was just... a daydream."

A daydream.

Harry shuddered. He used to like imagining what other people daydreamed about, but now, with Hermione, he was swamped with the very real idea that her thoughts were of Malfoy. She could have been fantasising about… Ugh. Aside from the sheer revulsion he felt at the relationship, he began to think about the serious implications of this. If his suspicions were correct, the Malfoys were seated very firmly by the side of Voldemort. So, if Hermione felt this way about one of his strongest followers, where would her allegiance lie? He desperately needed to talk to her, but at the same time he could not bring himself to think about it again. Things would no doubt be awkward between them if she became aware of his knowledge of the affair. But could he really stand suffering in silence like this?

"Harry! Now you're the one zoning out. What's going on with you two tonight?"

Harry forced a laugh, hoping it didn't sound too strained.

"I'm just daydreaming too, Ron"

Ron rolled his eyes in exaggerated despair.

"And they say _I'm_ the vacant one." He said, letting out a loud sigh, drawing laughter from both of his friends.

As she laughed, Hermione briefly cast a glance upon Harry. He was certainly acting strangely as of late. It can't have been because of what they witnessed earlier, surely not. Lucius was confident that their memories had vanished, but... No. Lucius was a highly skilled wizard, his spell wouldn't have failed. She pushed her doubts to the back of her mind and went to retrieve a book from the dusty shelf across the room.

Whereas Hermione was usually drawn into books like a bear to honey, she could not keep her mind settled on the words before her now. It was not long at all before her mind drifted back to Lucius Malfoy.

_Hermione cried out, half in excitement, half in fear, as the snarling Chinese Fireball rushed past, Krum running along the ground before it desperate to reach the golden egg. She cheered for him, hoping that he wasn't too badly singed, and grabbed Ginny's arm enthusiastically. As her eyes followed the dragon's darting form, she caught sight of long, platinum blonde hair. The dragon whooshed past again, blocking her view, and then she saw him fully. Lucius Malfoy, garbed in his black robes which so beautifully contrasted with his hair, holding his long, ornate staff. His nose was tilted up in a sneer, but Hermione found that she no longer found this displeasurable. She thought back to the Quidditch World Cup, when he had held her so gently, the usual disdain faded from his expression, giving her a glimpse into a side of Lucius Malfoy she had never seen before, a side which could be...kind?_

_Suddenly, he glanced up, and she realised she had been staring. Embarrassed, she lowered her eyes, focussing on her knotted hands instead. When she looked up again he was still gazing at her, his shaped lips curved up in a smirk. Then, the dragon leaped between them, and when it was gone, Lucius had turned away. Hermione sighed wistfully and returned her attention to the sizzling Krum._

_When the first challenge had finished, all three schools were in uproar, which gave Hermione enough cover to sneak away from her celebrating friends. She crept behind the stands and towards a tent, which she had seen Lucius enter as soon as Harry had seized the egg. Peering inside, she saw Lucius, facing away from her with his hands clasped behind his back. She shuffled her feet, moving forwards as if to enter, and then stepping back again._

"_Miss Granger." Lucius's deep voice cut through the silence in the tent. "I hope you haven't caught me alone to do anything…" he turned, lips curved up, "naughty…"_

"_M-Mister Malfoy I-" She shuffled nervously. "I was just wondering...um…"_

"_Why I became your saviour?" She nodded. Suddenly he was right in front of her. She took a sharp intake of breath as he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers were soft, and his touch on her skin was gentle. Unconsciously, she leaned towards him and he chuckled softly. "Let's just say I have become rather fond of you, little mudblood." Her eyes widened, but instead of admonishing him, she felt warm, like she had when he had held her before._

"_Lucius…" She reached for his cheek, but before she could stroke his pale skin, the tent flap blew open and Severus Snape strode in. He paused, however, when he saw Lucius, with his hand cupping Hermione's cheek, and Hermione with her hand outstretched. Lucius's face abruptly became hard and guarded again, and he pushed Hermione roughly away from him._

"_Filthy mudblood." He hissed, hand on his wand. "How dare you come near me." Hermione stumbled, and her mouth fell open in shock at Lucius's quick rejection, and embarrassment from Snape catching them in such a position. "Get out of my sight. Now." Pressing her lips tightly together, she stomped as indignantly as she could out of the tent._

"_Like I want to be anywhere near you, you elitist bastard." She called over her shoulder. She pulled the tent flap shut._

_A few days later, Hermione was making her way to the library in order to distance herself from Ron and Harry for a few hours. Ever since Harry had grabbed the golden egg, Ron had become even more irritable, and Hermione was fed up of dealing with their squabble. She had left the Gryffindor common room just as the shouting had begun. It was the afternoon, and there was a hush about the Hogwarts grounds, any students Hermione encountered were gathered in corners, reading or chatting quietly. She turned a corner and nearly stumbled into someone. She started to voice her apologies before she noticed that she stood face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who wore a grimace of disgust to match his expensive black suit, which oozed with snobbery._

"_Granger." He spat, which Hermione thought was rather civil, considering his normal greeting for her, which usually contained swear words._

"_Yes, Malfoy?" She replied coolly, clutching the book she was holding tighter in her arms. He looked her up and down, smirking._

"_My father wishes to speak with you." Not sure how to respond to this, Hermione decided to act as if nothing had happened between herself and Lucius._

"_For what reason." She looked him in the eye and he smirked again, seizing a lock of her hair to twirl in his fingers. She slapped his hand away and stepped back, glaring._

"_I think you know why, Granger. Anyway, he's outside, by the owlery." With that, he prowled off down the corridor, leaving Hermione with her heart beating rather fast. What did Draco know?_

_She found Lucius where Draco had said he would be, leaning casually against the side of the stone staircase, one leg crossed over the other. She noticed how elegant he looked, with his hair that glistened in the sun and his slick black clothes. She approached warily, her book still squeezed against her chest, and when he looked up, she blushed. He nodded in greeting._

"_Hermione." She started, caught unaware by his sudden informality._

"_Lucius." There was a moment of silence._

"_Draco managed to find you I see." She smiled slightly, and walked the last few steps to stand before him. He stared at her for a while, seemingly considering her, and then looped an arm around her shoulders. "Come inside, it's getting chilly." 'Inside' was a little disused room under the owlery. It was circular in shape, and had a little window opposite a small stone bench, which Hermione sat down upon under the guidance of Lucius._

"_Lucius, why did you ask me to come here." He smiled, once again touching his fingers to her cheek. She breathed out heavily. She had forgotten what him touching her had felt like; soft and warm and exciting all at once. "I wanted to apologise." His hand cupped her cheek, and he pulled her face closer to his. "I treated you harshly."_

"_I understand why."_

"_I know you do; you're a clever girl." Leaning slowly in, he touched his lips to her cheek and she sighed, placing her hands on either side of his face. She pushed his head back, but kept her hands on him, her fingers tracing small circles on his cheeks. He raised an eyebrow. Hermione, gripped by sudden desire, leaned in._

"_Kiss me Lucius." _

_And he did. His lips pressed against hers, softly at first, but when Hermione moved her hands up to bury her fingers in his soft hair, he became more demanding. As their lips moved together, Hermione felt excitement building up inside her. _What are we doing, _she thought. She didn't know kissing was supposed to be like this, like you belonged to the person whose lips touched yours, like you never wanted them to stop. It suddenly occurred to her just who she was kissing, but instead of pulling away, she deepened the kiss, tentatively running her tongue over his lips. He breathed into her mouth, gripping her waist with eager hands__,_ _he met her tongue with his. Roughly, he pushed her down onto the stone, and she moaned quietly as he explored her mouth. This was new and exciting, it caused fire to race through her body. She was alight. She was alive. At some point his hands had moved up under her shirt, and he was running his them over her. The contact increased her desire, and she gripped his shirt as if she could rip it off and expose his naked chest. She wanted this. She wanted more._

_All too soon, Lucius withdrew from her, sliding his hands out of her shirt. His hair was mussed, strands sticking out at odd angles, and the normal pallor of his cheeks had been replaced with a red flush. "Lucius…" She moaned. She didn't want him to stop._

"_You should go, Hermione." She gazed at him longingly, and he smirked the Malfoy smirk. She wanted to kiss him again, she wanted to touch him. He stood, his weight leaving her. She sighed, and pushed herself up. "Here…" He patted her hair, brushing off the dust. She reached up to rearrange his and he closed his eyes as she worked her fingers through it._

"_Goodbye then, Lucius." He leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips._

"_Farewell, Hermione."_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello once again, friends. Chapter 4 is finally here! Enjoy.**

She closed her eyes, trying to remember the feeling of his lips on hers. He was all she thought about these days. Looking at the clock, she noticed the time was almost nine, and thought that soon, she should sneak off to Lucius. She tried to look conspicuous as she slid the book back onto its shelfand crept slowly towards the portrait hole. Harry and Ron were engaged in another chess game, unlikely to notice her. In relief, she walked the last few steps to the exit, and the portrait swung open to allow her to exit.

"Hermione?" She froze. "Where are you going?" She turned. Ginny stood behind her, hand on hip and eyebrows raised.

"Just...the library." Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"You're always going to the library."

"Yes, well there are books there." Shaking her head, Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her back into the room, Hermione looking sadly back at the closing portrait, her opportunity to see Lucius, gone.

She was lead to the sofa and deposited on the cushions, Ginny grinning all the while. The red-haired girl plonked herself down on the sofa next to Hermione, gathering a cushion up in her arms and squeezing it tight. She was still grinning, and with apprehension, Hermione turned to face her.

"Not even _you _go to the library that often." As soon as those words had left her lips, Hermione anticipated what was to follow. "So, who is he?"

Darkness engulfed most of the corridors of Hogwarts, save for the weak torchlight that threw shadows across the old stone. Snape strode through them, books in hand, ready to retire to his study for yet another dreary evening of marking students' work. He sighed. This was what his life amounted to, when he wasn't busy ensuring the safety of the accursed boy. Not that he had yet received any gratitude for the latter, either. He grumbled as he walked, but stopped as he heard something rather curious. A chorus of mutters had joined with his. Turning his head to look down an adjoining corridor, he saw Lucius Malfoy standing with his head and fist resting on the wall.

"Where is the damned girl… been waiting here for hours..."

As Snape listened, Lucius lifted his head and turned to face him.

"Severus." He acknowledged.

"Lucius." Snape nodded in return. They stared at each other coolly for a moment, but sensing he had outstayed his welcome, Snape rearranged the books in his arms and continued down the corridor.

Snape slammed the books down on his desk. Lucius was up to something, he was certain of it. The incident at the tri-wizard tournament had left him more than a little suspicious. He was convinced that the atmosphere in that tent was not corresponding with that which he had been lead to believe. He had almost caught their expressions in the brief moment before they realised his presence. And assuming the muttering he had just overheard referred to Granger, this served to confirm that this was not a singular incident, either. The brief flash of worry that sparked through Lucius's eyes upon noticing Snape this evening furthered this. Why was Lucius loitering around the room of requirement, anyway? Something was happening. And Granger… She was usually annoyingly keen to answer any of his questions before he had barely finished speaking them. Recently, she had seemed ever so slightly more distanced than usual. At first he took it as a welcome change; it was a nice break from hearing her, quite frankly, insufferable know-it-all tone. But now… The clock sharply chimed 10 times, piercing the silence. Snape swore quietly to himself. He would get to the bottom of this, but as for now, he had work to do.

About an hour later, Hermione was free. Harry and Ron had gone to bed about half an hour ago, Ron shooting Hermione a questioning look which Ginny had deflected with a scowl. She was like a demon, that girl. Scarlet hair flying about her face, she had subjected Hermione to an interrogation comparable to that of one MI5 might conduct. And of course it had been about boys. Hermione had gritted her teeth and been very, very careful about what she said. Trying to convince Ginny that Hermione was currently boyfriend-less had become increasingly difficult the more she insisted that she was, but eventually Ginny had cracked, sighed, and gone to bed. Rubbing her face with her palm, Hermione seated herself on her bed and groaned. She had to be more discrete. If anybody found out it would be the end of everything; her social life, her friendships, her studies, and, over everything else, it would be extremely embarrassing.

After nipping to the bathroom, Hermione slipped on her pyjamas and climbed into bed, pulling the warm covers over her. She settled down on her side and closed her eyes, and found herself drifting off into her memories.

_One day shortly after the Triwizard Tournament had finished, Krum approached her after dinner._

"'_Ermione." He said, with a serious look on his face. "I will be returning to Bulgaria soon."_

"_I know. Could it...would it be possible for us to keep in touch? I enjoy talking to you." She smiled hopefully, but his expression didn't change._

"_I think not." Her face fell._

"_Why?" He fidgeted a bit, but kept eye contact._

"_I do not think you are right for me. We are...urr… not like enough."_

"_We're too different?"_

"_Yes."_

_She stood still, digesting what he had said, while he shuffled back to his Bulgarian friends. Her mind was in turmoil. She stared at his retreating back, the person she had grown so fond of, walking away in disdain. Hermione was not a particularly emotional person, but Krum's blatant disregard for her brought tears to her eyes. The longer she stood there, the more the tears gathered, until her vision was blurred, rendering Krum's retreating form to a distorted wobbling form. Distraught, she fled from the great hall._

_Whispers arose as students turned to look at the weeping girl who rushed past them, but she ignored their questioning stares. Hermione turned corners, narrowly missing surprised classmates, desperately hoping she wouldn't run into Harry or Ron. The further she ran, the emptier the corridors were, and the only sound accompanying her now was that of her heavy footsteps against the smooth stone floor. She did not know where she was going, just that she needed to get away from all the inevitable gossiping that was most likely taking place. She sprinted on, vision blurred and mind clouded._

_And slammed straight into the arms of Lucius Malfoy. The collision jarred her, but as she moved to pull away, he wrapped his arms around her shivering body and held it tightly against his. Her eyes widened in shock, but she could not sustain her surprise for long before another fit of tears claimed her, and she buried her face in his warm robes._

"_Hermione," he murmured, "Whatever is the matter?"_

"_Krum said… he said he…" Lucius sighed._

"_Silly child." he said, smoothing her hair gently._

"_Lucius -" She shook slightly_

"_Shush." He held her tighter, stroking his thumb along her back. _

_Carefully, he guided her to the room of requirement, where he sat her down on the edge of a large ornate bed. He stood before her, cupping her face in one hand and wiping her tears away with the other. Hermione snivelled as she raised her eyes to meet his. They considered her coolly, but could she detect something else behind this facade? Through a thin veil, Lucius's eyes seemed to hold a look of deep longing. Perhaps it was just her imagination. Her mind was suddenly awash with fervent images. His strangely gentle face looking down at hers amidst the fires and discord at the World Cup, his lips on hers inside the owlery, the way his robes swished when he moved with a fluidity so entrancing she was enraptured whenever he passed. And in her frenzy of emotions, she pulled his face in and kissed him._

_Now Lucius's eyes were the ones to widen, but he soon closed them and shuddered deeply, as if experiencing a sudden and passionate release. He thrust Hermione down against the bed with the full weight of his body, roughly rubbing his mouth against hers. He pushed against her soft lips with his tongue and she parted them with a moan. His hands caressed her hips but he slowly slid them up her body. Hermione pulled away from his face and gasped._

"_M-Mr Malfoy," her cheeks flushed "You're- We can't be doing-"_

_Lucius's strong hold on her breasts silenced her._

"_Don't you fret, Miss Granger. We're quite alone here." He growled softly, the seductive glint in his eyes leaving her speechless._

_Smirking, he moved his hands on her breasts and began unfastening the buttons on her shirt languidly. Pulling it off, he bent down closer and kissed her neck as he snaked his arms around her body to unhook her bra. Hermione inhaled sharply as he pressed his face into her soft exposed flesh, drawing small circles with his tongue against her then brought his face up to Hermione's again, thrusting his tongue into her open mouth, feeling it slide against hers. Gingerly, she raised her hands to his chest, and fumbled with his shirt until pulling it off to reveal the pale, muscular body that pinned her down._

_Breathing heavily, he began to grind himself against her, enjoying the sliding contact of naked skin. Hermione shivered as he did so, feeling his hardness rubbing against her thighs. Lucius then thrust his hands down her trousers, working his way into her underwear and massaging his fingers against her crotch, relishing her moans with each stroke. Desperate with desire now, they fumbled feverishly to remove the rest of their clothing._

_Lucius rose up. Then he drove himself into her. A hoarse resounding moan was wrenched from Hermione's throat. Lucius smirked in triumph._

_For several minutes, Lucius thrusted into her, Hermione making noises of intense pleasure, and then it was done__._ _They lay on top of each other for several minutes, their breathing hard and fast. Then, with a final moan, Lucius pulled out and lay face down next to her on the bed. He wrapped an arm around Hermione's naked waist. A cloud of fatigue slowly drifted over them like a mist, enveloping them in comfort and drawing them into a deep slumber._

Hermione jerked awake. When she woke, she had expected Lucius's warm arm to be around her, but instead she had pushed the covers off in her sleep, allowing a draft to creep over her skin. She shuddered and pulled the covers up to her neck, then realised it was nearly time for breakfast. Muttering quietly, she reached for clean robes and attempted to dress herself under the covers. This resulted in a shriek and a thump, and Hermione lay on the floor, exposed to the cold.

Once she had dressed herself, she collected Harry, Ron, and Ginny from their dormitories and they wandered down to breakfast making idle conversation. Harry listened to his friends talking, his eyes focussed on Hermione, looking for any discrepancies in her behaviour, any slight change that could indicate what was going on. She seemed normal; laughing at Ginny's jokes, smiling at Ron's comments, but Harry wondered what she was thinking about. He was going to confront her later. He wanted, he _needed _to sort this out. He had considered the possibility that Lucius was abusing her, but she had seemed...his mind cringed away from the word in this context...happy. Hermione seemed to notice him staring, for she met his eyes and smiled slightly. He turned quickly away, and didn't see her worried frown.

While eating, Hermione monitored Harry. He kept his head down, and ate his food slowly. Comparing him to Ron, who ate with the voracity of a honey badger, he seemed drained. She opened her mouth to ask him if he was okay, but stopped, and closed it again. She was scared of his response.

Snape eyed his students slowly. Granger was still distant. Whereas before, when she'd hurry to finish her work and look up at him expectantly in a smug request for some more, she was now finishing just to then stare dreamily into space. He let his eyes drift over the rest of them, but they came to rest on Potter. He wrote furiously but, Snape noted with a small sigh, his bordering on illegible writing was littered with silly mistakes. However, every so often, the boy would occasionally broke concentration from his work to glance nervously at Hermione.

Narrowing his eyes, he strolled towards the desks.

Snape slapped his hands down on the desk in front of her, the sound reverberating through the quiet classroom, drawing the attention of all those in it. She looked up at him in shock, but dared not say anything.

"If I catch you daydreaming again, Miss Granger, I will not hesitate to give you detention. Is that clear?"

Catching Draco's snigger from the corner of her eye, Hermione reddened at the reprimand.

"S-sorry, Professor."

Harry's shudder went vastly undetected in the classroom, but as for Snape, this was an affirmation of something he had already suspected. The boy knew something.

It was nice having Harry and Ron together again, Hermione thought, watching the two boys bending over the work professor Snape had set them. They whispered quietly, shooting nervous glances at Snape. Hermione was sitting upright in her chair, having finished her notes, and had noticed during her study of the class, that Snape's gaze levelled on her quite often. She made a point of avoiding eye contact, but it was...unsettling.

"Have you sniveling brats completed the notes?" He said, walking slowly down the classroom. There was a muttering of confirmation, and the noise of Neville shuffling his papers so that Snape wouldn't see his unfinished work. Snape ignored him. "Then get out of my sight."

Everyone leapt to their feet, stuffing books haphazardly into bags. Hermione gathered her quill, ink, and potions textbook, and started towards the door.

"Miss Granger." She stopped. People walked past her, eager to avoid any punishment that was about to be dealt out. Snape stayed where he was, looking her in the eye. "Do be careful."

"Not so fast, Mister Potter" Snape caught the back of Harry's collar before he could leave. Other students streamed past them, but Hermione and Ron turned and looked back worriedly.

"But, Professor Snape-" Harry protested.

"You quite mistaken if you think excuses will get you out of this," Snape cut him off, "I must speak with you." His friends exchanged glances. "We shall be quite a while. Do not bother waiting for him."

Harry watched as the door closed on his friends. He was alone in the gloom with Snape.

"Do sit, Potter." Snape strode to his desk and seated himself behind it. With trepidation, Harry perched on the edge of the nearest seat.

"What do you want with me, sir?"

"Miss Granger…" Harry's eyes widened. "Yes, I thought you might know something." Snape looked him in the eye and raised his eyebrows. "Tell me."

"Professor?"

"Potter." There was a moment of silence, where Harry glanced briefly at Snape, and then looked away again. Snape sighed, and rose from his seat. Harry's face was white, and panic rose within him as Snape's resounding footsteps carried him closer. He stood in front of Harry, looking down his nose at the boy. "Tell me." He said, emphasis on every word.

"What about?"

"I have no time for your games Potter. Now tell me or I'll be forced to make you comply." Harry shuddered, imagining having to describe how Lucius Malfoy had been...moving...inside Hermione. Draco's father, a married man, Hermione's senior by twenty five years, and a death eater. As he thought about the horrendousness of it all, he felt a pressure on his mind. He frowned. Snape was looking at him steadily, brow furrowed in concentration. Suddenly, Harry leapt up.

"Whatever you're doing, stop it!"

"As I thought." Harry paused, mouth open in shock.

"You read my mind." Snape grasped Harry's shoulder tightly.

"Tell me what you know."

"How dare you read my mind!"

"I don't have time for this, Potter. Tell me what you know, now." Snape's hand remained on Harry's shoulder. Slowly, Harry sank back into the chair, and covered his face with his hands.

"It's horrible…" Snape said nothing. "They were...they were in the alcove together and-"

"Who?"

"You know." Harry moaned and pressed his face harder against his hands. "Please don't make me say it."

"I need confirmation, potter. Who were they?"

"...M-malfoy. Lucius Malfoy. And...H-hermione."

The benefit of Harry having had participated in the Triwizard tournament was that he had told Hermione where the prefect bathrooms were. Now, every time she was stressed, or just wanted a nice bath, she retreated to the lake-like bath on the fifth floor, locking herself in. The password hadn't changed since Harry had first told her it.

"Pine fresh." She muttered, and the door swung open. Swiftly, she entered, locking the door. The vast bath stretched out before her, the water beckoning her with slight waves. She strode eagerly to the massive taps, pushing her weight against them. She could have used magic to do this, but she found it more satisfying watching the heavy stream of water roar into the bath when she had used her own weight to cause it. Grinning, she stripped and slipped into the water. She sighed; the warmth relaxed all her muscles and gave her peace of mind. She'd always found that a nice hot bath washed her worries away. She reached for the shampoo on the side, and began massaging it into her scalp, the bubbles it created running down her back and into the water.

"Pine fresh." Hermione froze. There was a rattle at the door, and then, "Alohomora." The door squeaked as it opened. Covering her chest with her hands, she turned, and gasped at who she saw. Lucius Malfoy, a smirk upon his face, stood. His gaze caressed her, and she felt her body shudder from his stare alone.

"W-what are you doing here?" She stammered, cheeks flushed. He made a point of looking her up and down, focussing on the parts of her which stimulated desire.

"Where were you last night, my love." He purred, dropping his cane and unbuttoning his robes. Hermione watched as his robe slid off, sliding down his body. He met her eyes again. "Well?"

"I-I couldn't leave the common room...Ginny…"

"You had better make it up to me."

"Lucius…" He grasped his shirt with both hands and pulled it over his head, then tossed it aside.

"I mean it." He pushed his trousers down and pulled his boots off, then stood in nothing but his underwear. With another smirk, he hooked his thumbs inside them, and slowly slid them off. He advanced, lowering himself into the water in front of her. "Granger." He moved towards her. "You, are going to make up for your absence." She stared, wide eyed, as he touched her, one hand sliding to her thigh, and the other holding her neck. He pulled her closer to him, their naked, wet bodies sliding against each other. Hermione pressed her face into his neck and moaned, slipping her fingers down Lucius's chest to stroke his erect penis. He panted, moving his head down to brush the area above her crotch. Gasping, she threw her head back. She played her fingers over him, and when he came up for air, grabbed his hips insistently. "Oh yes Granger..." He groaned, as she moved her crotch over his penis, taking him inside her. They shuddered simultaneously. The water was warm and wet around them as they moved in and out. Their bodies slippery and hot. They fell down, into the water, bubbles of their air bursting to the surface. Hermione was light headed, out of breath, boiling. She let out a cry as she reached the crescendo of her pleasure, gripping Lucius tightly, digging her nails into his skin. _Oh god. _He mouthed, over and over, as Hermione's warm body pleasured him, and then, when he had spent his pleasure, he closed his eyes, riding the wave of pure satisfaction that followed. Breathless, he pushed her up to the surface, and they emerged from the water, gasping and red. They stood still for a few moments, the disrupted water lapping about their bodies, which were still connected. With a last sigh, Lucius left her, and it was done. Hermione leaned on his shoulder, breathing out heavily. When he had recovered his breath, Lucius pushed her gently away, "I'll see you again soon." Hermione nodded. His hand reaching back to trail down her one last time, he moved away, pushing through the water to the side. He climbed out and dressed himself again, patting down his collar, and looking exactly as he had when he had walked in, with the exception of his flushed cheeks and dampened hair. With a glance back at her, he swaggered to the door. "Yours Sincerely, Lucius Malfoy." He smirked to himself, and left.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for bearing with us, friends. It's been a little while, but we present to you Chapter 5! Enjoy. Don't be afraid to drop us a review, receiving your feedback is always so exciting.**

Dumbledore gazed out the window of his study, admiring the way the summer sun illuminated the castle, the old stone turrets casting angular shadows over the trees below. The lake shimmered in the background in a way most pleasing, and he sighed as he sat, reaching for a lemon drop from a gilded silver bowl on his desk.

Just as the sweet had reached his mouth, a sharp knock rang through the old mahogany door, which opened before he could react. He looked up in surprise at Snape, who strode in with Harry in tow.

"Pardon the interruption, Headmaster." He spoke in a level tone, but Dumbledore knew Snape, and he could sense that he was more than a little worried behind this calm guise.

Dumbledore glanced sideways at Harry, who looked decidedly ashamed, and anxious too.

"Whatever is the matter?" Snape looked at Harry's ashen face, then turned to Dumbledore again.

"We fear Miss Granger may be in danger."

Hermione was in the library busily writing notes when Professor McGonagall approached her.

"Dumbledore wishes to see you."

Hermione looked back to her work and tried to mask the small sigh that escaped her.

"You'd better go quickly; I was told it's quite urgent."

"Yes, professor. Thank you." She replied, her voice shaking slightly. What could've happened for Dumbledore to call her to his office so suddenly? She was certain she'd done nothing wrong. Except… surely not.

Trying to steady herself, she raised a fist to the old mahogany door and knocked faintly. The idea that Dumbledore knew was impossible, yet all too real. Hearing his call to enter, she pushed open the door and went in.

"Ah, Miss Granger. Do take a seat." He nodded to the ornamented chairs before his desk. His tone was amicable at first, Hermione noted, but then it grew serious. Trying to ignore the dizziness that spilled from the back of her mind, she sat.

"Anything on your mind?" He inquired, keeping his voice even. Seeing her shake her head slightly, he continued, "Do you know why you're here?"

"I'm- I'm not sure…"

"Well, Miss Granger, it seems that a few members of this school are quite worried about you; worried enough to call my attention to this matter."  
Hermione's eyes widened.

"Who-"

"Perhaps you should be paying more attention to your friends, Miss Granger."

Harry. Harry knew. Of course. It seemed so obvious now, his jumpy behaviour, the positively queasy look he ever only seemed to adopt near her. Harry had seen her in the alcove, with Lucius, and he remembered. He must've known where she'd been disappearing to, what she'd been doing. _Oh god._ Dizziness swarmed her vision like a cloud of bees. She'd never be able to look at him in the same way again. She realised he had been feeling the same about her for all this time.

"Miss Granger…" She looked up at him, trying to push back her nausea.

"They fear you are not safe. You must talk to me, please."

Lifting her chin, she put on a weak smile.  
"There's nothing wrong, Professor. I've just been feeling a bit ill lately."

"Is that so." He narrowed his eyes.

She nodded more than a little vigorously, and stared anxiously at the clock. She had a lesson soon, and she didn't wish to worsen the suspicions of her any more than they had been already.

"Well, I have work to do, and I'm sure you do too. But do not think this conversation is over, Miss Granger. It is my duty to ensure the safety of all the students and staff of Hogwarts. I just need you to talk to me, and know that there is no need to feel afraid. I simply wish to help you."

"I'll… keep that in mind. Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." With regret, he nodded her dismissal, and she left.

Humiliation seared through her as she stumbled away from the office. Her next lesson was in several minutes but she desperately needed to lie down and take the whole situation in. She thought they had been so careful, but her worse imagined scenario had already been set into motion and she was helpless to stop it.

Snape strode at pace through the corridors, black robes flying behind him like dark feathery wings. Granger was sorted, he hoped, but there was nothing to stop Malfoy trying anything again.

Lucius turned the corner and came into view. He walked swiftly, his boots striking the ground with heavy thuds. He met Snape's eyes with a cool stare, and made to continue past him.

"Stop right there, Lucius." he drawled carefully.

Lucius turned to give him a resentful look.

"Out of my way, Severus. I have no quarrel with you." When Snape instead lifted his chin and blinked slowly, Lucius continued, "You do not know what you're involving yourself with. I suggest," he uttered the syllables harshly, "you back down. I'm not afraid to force you to reconsider."

"Really? Well, well, well, Lucius. It appears that you do in fact have something to hide. I'm not leaving until I find out what that might be."

"I'm warning you, Severus." Lucius drew his wand with a flourish and raised it towards Snape. "Back down."

Snape narrowed his eyes and drew his own wand.

"So be it."

"Serpensortia." In a flash of white light a long, scaled snake erupted from Lucius's raised wand. It shot towards Snape, fangs bared, but froze when a cloud of birds emerged between it and it's target with a loud crack.

"Oppugno," and Snape's summoned creatures dove towards the snake with talons outstretched, shrieking violently. They tore the snake's flesh violently from its twisting body until it lay lifeless in a pool of blood on the floor. Curling his lip in disgust, Snape directed the raging birds towards Lucius.

"Confringo!" The bloody birds were wrenched apart in Lucius's fiery explosion. The impact threw both wizards back, and they paused a moment to regain their footing.

"Levicorpus." Lucius let out a yell as Snape's sudden spell dragged him into the air, holding him upside down by the ankle. He readied a spell but with his long blond hair falling over his face obscuring his vision, he missed. The wall behind Snape was shot through with a deep crack. His body was pulled up, then he suddenly crashed to the floor upon Snape's utterance of the counter-curse.

Dazed, Lucius staggered up once more, but Snape was quick to fire another spell.

"Sectumsempra!" Waves of magical energy slashed towards Lucius like a frenzy of swords. He gasped, "protego," just as they reached him, and the spell was narrowly deflected, leaving only a bloody tear across his cheek.

The duelling wizards continued their fast paced exchange for a few moments, hexes and jinxes crackling between them, each one's expression hardening in extreme concentration, waiting and willing the other to break.

"Impedimenta!" At last, Snape's immersion wavered and he failed to block the incoming spell. He was pushed back from his opponent, and the brief immobilisation it created provided Lucius with the only opportunity he needed to turn the duel in his favour.

"Expulso!" Snape was suddenly blown against the wall behind him. Winded, he lay slumped against it, fumbling desperately for his wand. "Petrificus Totalus." Snape's hunched body froze. He raised his eyes to Lucius's, in a silent plea for mercy. At this, Lucius's face contorted into a wicked grin, and he spoke the cruciatus curse languidly, stepping back to enjoy the writhing pain he had inflicted upon the helpless form before him.

Snape's breath came in shallow gasps and he shook as the curse released him. Steadying himself, he focussed his mind.

"F-Flipendo." Lucius was suddenly knocked backwards into the opposite wall. His shocked expression quickly fell into one of anger, and he began to step towards Snape.

"Enough!" Snape cried.

Lucius stumbled back.

"Lucius…" Snape gasped. "What do you want... with her? She's a...muggleborn.".

"Well, Severus. You've been whining after the same dead woman for years, I don't expect you have such desires."

"What you're doing is wrong." Snape's voice was quiet and pained.

"Kindness, Severus? How unlike you." Lucius smirked, and thrust his wand into its sheath. "Unfortunately, it's far too late." He walked away, Snape staring at his retreating back.

"You're not invincible...Lucius. This won't...last forever."

He didn't reply.

Hermione was lying under the window down the hall from Dumbledore's office. Her eyes were closed, scrunched up in worry. Dumbledore knew. Of course he knew. For once in her life, Hermione didn't know what to do, and the terrible, cold anxiety was building. If Ron and Harry found out… Her eyes shot open, and above her stood Lucius Malfoy, his mouth curved down.

"We need to go."

"What? Lucius-"

"Now." He grasped her wrists and pulled her up.

"Why?"

"Too many people know."

"Dumbledore won't tell-" She paused, looking him over. "What happened to you?" He touched his cheek, where he bore a small wound. It was straight and thin, as though made by a sword edge.

"I had a little quarrel with Snape."

"...About me?"

"Yes. We need to leave. Now." He started pulling her along by her wrist.

"I can't just leave my studies, and my friends! Lucius!" He picked up his pace.

"There are books you can study from at the manor."

"But-"

"Hermione." She fell silent, and let herself be pulled along. They walked quickly for several minutes, ducking into the shadows when they encountered anyone, until Lucius stopped and looked around.

"The defence against the dark arts tower?" Lucius opened the door a crack and peered in, then he turned to Hermione.

"Come." They entered, and Lucius strode to Mcgonagall's office door, which he performed the same routine upon after unlocking the door. He motioned for Hermione to follow him, and she crept nervously forwards.

"We shouldn't go in her office…"

"How else are we getting out?" He yanked her inside, and she fell against him. The door closed behind them, and Lucius locked it again, Hermione going to stand by the fireplace while he did so. The flames glittered and crackled.

"We're going to your manor?"

"Indeed." Hermione hung back while Lucius located Mcgonagall's floo powder.

"What about your family?"

"It's a large house."

She hadn't been satisfied with any of his answers, but any question she asked he had deflected. He seemed tense, though it was no wonder. She herself was on edge, which was the only reason she was going along with Lucius's plans. He was striding around the office, throwing up papers and books, muttering agitatedly to himself.

"Where does she keep it? Damn woman."

There was a creak of a door. Lucius stopped his motion and looked quickly at Hermione, who stood with wide eyes. Quiet footsteps, barely audible, walked past the office door, and both Hermione and Lucius let out a sigh of relief at their retreat.

"Good afternoon, Mister Filch." They froze again. The quiet footsteps stopped, and louder ones approached. "Afternoon, Professor McGonagall." _McGonagall _Hermione mouthed. Her and Lucius exchanged looks of terror, then launched into a flurry of activity. "Every time I go round the school, there're students everywhere! Students in the corridors, out of bed!" Hermione knocked over a tower of newspapers and looked behind it. No floo powder.

"I'm sure you see them back to their common rooms." There was a step towards the door. Lucius lifted up a cloth to reveal a bowl, not filled with floo powder.

"The thing is, Professor, most of them are Gryffindors." Hermione ducked down to look under the table, and saw a porcelain mug filled with grey ash. Floo powder.

"Lucius." she whispered. His head whipped around. Seeing the floo powder in her hands, he ran to her and snatched it. He pushed her into the fireplace, muttering a spell, and threw a handful of ash on her. "Malfoy Manor." With a crimson flash, she was gone.

"I'll have a word, Filch." She came to the door and unlocked it. Lucius launched himself into the fireplace and drowned himself in floo powder.

"Malfoy Manor!" The flames ate him up.

McGonagall entered her office, and paused on the threshold. There were books everywhere, documents were fluttering about, and there was an empty pot of floo powder in the fireplace, where the flames were still roaring.

"Mister Filch!" She called down the corridor. "Could you fetch Professor Dumbledore, please. A student has left the school."

**A/N: Do not despair, good friends! This chapter may be lacking in a particular sort of "action", but let us assure you that it will definitely be returning in future chapters.**


End file.
